From hype to how: Three key takeaways from Online Retailer 2025

This year’s Online Retailer Conference & Expo marked a pivotal moment for the ecommerce industry. As a Platinum Sponsor, Maropost was front and centre for the conversations shaping the future of retail. It was fantastic to see the energy, creativity, and deep thinking that filled the halls — and to hear from so many retailers pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The standout theme? AI is no longer theoretical — it’s operational.

Here are the top three takeaways every retailer needs to know:

1. Search is everywhere — and the funnel is gone

Forget the traditional marketing funnel — it’s been flattened. In today’s discovery-driven world, product searches are happening across marketplaces, social platforms, and even AI tools like ChatGPT. 

Stat to note: 47% of product searches in Australia now start on marketplaces

That makes marketplace presence essential — not optional. But with fragmented platforms and rising customer expectations, delivering a seamless experience is tougher than ever.

Retailers are now expected to maintain accurate, enriched product data and consistent brand experiences across every channel. The brands winning in 2025? They’re laser-focused on discoverability, speed, and frictionless journeys — wherever the search begins.

As Maropost continues to help brands streamline data orchestration, this is the wake-up call: if you're not where the search starts, you're not in the game.

2. Generative AI is moving from pilots to playbooks

Last year’s curiosity around AI has evolved into structured rollouts and measurable results. Retailers are no longer dabbling — they’re deploying. Across sessions, leaders shared how they’re using AI to streamline core operations, from generating dynamic product descriptions to personalising marketing content at scale and accelerating customer service workflows with automation.

What was once experimental is now embedded in the retail tech stack — delivering real-time efficiency, cost savings, and conversion boosts.

One of the most anticipated keynotes came from Goran Stefkovski, CTO at Kogan, who offered a transparent look into the brand’s AI journey. His session highlighted:

• Real examples of generative AI in action across marketing and CX

• Why innovation must always serve the customer experience

• How to build a culture that supports experimentation and agility

• Honest reflections on the current limitations of AI — from reliability to governance

His message was clear: AI is powerful, but successful implementation requires a roadmap, guardrails, and a human-centric strategy.

3. Content leads — but strategy makes it unstoppable

As event chair Laura Doonin shared in her post-event reflection: “The investment in content creation needs to be greater than it is right now.” 

In 2025, having content isn’t enough. Brands need to adopt a platform-first mindset — building modular content that can flex across marketplaces, social, AI tools, and search engines. Context is everything: what works on TikTok might flop on Amazon or Google.

To stay visible and relevant, content must be:

• Fast to create

• Low-cost to scale

• Smartly distributed across the right channels

It’s this intersection of content and strategy that separates high-performing brands from the rest.

Ready to unify your retail experience?  

At Maropost, we're proud to lead the next generation of ecommerce innovation. We’re the only AI-driven platform purpose-built for retail, helpdesk, and ecommerce — supporting thousands of businesses across Australia and beyond.

Our customers run their operations on trusted local solutions like Neto and Retail Express, while tapping into powerful tools like Marketing Cloud and Merchandising Cloud to drive growth and efficiency.

Our mission? To simplify processes, reduce tech stack bloat, and streamline operations — all under one roof. That’s what we call unified commerce.

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